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inShare2By Mike MichalowiczOf all the things I have done in my entrepreneurial career, selling has been the one constant. Ever since my first job out of college, I had to sell to make a salary. And then, when I started my first business, I had to sell to survive. Even after I wrote a book, it was nothing without a huge selling effort. I've been a lifelong fan and student of great selling techniques.

The travel trends of the Baby Boomer generation have been the focus of a great deal of analysis as the industry competes to capture their business. However, a new generation is surpassing this segment and will be garnering as much attention: The Millennials. This age group is beginning to outpace the Baby Boomer’s 76 million population with their own 79 million, and is projected to attain an even larger population gap at 78 million compared to the Boomers’ 58 million by 2030. Though most people are aware that the Millennial generation is tech-savvy and will not travel in the same style as their parents, there has not been significant research concerning the trends and changes this generation will bring to the hospitality industryWho Are They?

By Roberta NedryWhen my feet were hurting after three hours of delivering a workshop in Doha, Qatar in the Middle East to over 100 hospitality and concierge professionals, I asked my host, Randy Santos, the Les Clefs d'Or Chef Concierge of the InterContinental Doha, if he minded if I took my shoes off for a few moments before I went back on stage. About five minutes later, he had some hotel slippers delivered to relieve my aching feet. He sensed, even though I was working on his behalf, that there was SOMETHING he could do to relieve my pain and in turn, enhance my own guest experience taking place in his hotel. His efforts made me feel good and showed me that he cared, even during his extremely busy moments. He tuned in to my emotional need, and then surprised me with a solution. He made an empathetic connection, thought about what he could do to help and immediately took action. It's as if he had a sixth sense that propelled him to action...an instinct that kicked into gear as he tuned in to what his guest was experiencing.

REPORT FROM THE U.S.—When Rosette Press set out to create the Corporate Meetings Package at the Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid, New York, her goals were simple: Generate buzz, increase bookings and make the process as easy as possible for meetings planners.

Instead of forcing planners to build each event in a piecemeal fashion, Press included an inclusive bundle that featured the items that most often appeared on a request for proposal.

“That’s basically what most of the planners are looking for,” Press, the director of sales at Whiteface Lodge, said. “It was really geared for ease of planning … just trying to make it as seamless as possible. This is a way to service all the planners, be it third party or in-house, and making their lives easier for them.”

The Link Between Leadership Style of Hotel Managers and Their Perceptions of Corporate Social ResponsibilityApr 29, 13 | 12:03 am

The leadership styles of hotel managers influence their perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR), argue Dr Basak Denizci Guillet, Professor Ruhi Yaman and Dr Deniz Kucukusta of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) in a recently published research article.

Although CSR is generally recognised as an important issue across organisations, the researchers note that little consideration has been given to the personal factors that may influence it. Drawing on the results of a survey conducted in Hong Kong, they show that hotel managers with a professional leadership style incorporating some elements of transformational leadership attach more importance to CSR than counterparts with other styles. This should have an obvious implication for the management recruitment policies of hotels seeking to heighten or maintain their CSR.

According to the National Restaurant Association’s 2013 Restaurant Industry Forecast, despite a continued challenging operating environment, the restaurant industry remains a strong driver in the nation’s economy, where the limited-service segment will be up by 5% from the previous year, whereas full-service restaurant sales will increase by almost 3%.

However, an interesting find in a survey done by NRA was that more than 7 out of 10 consumers said they would be more likely to visit a restaurant that offers locally produced menu items, and more than 6 out of 10 said locally sourced menus are a key attribute for choosing a restaurant. My objective for this article is to inform and educate our readers and restaurant owners, on how local sourcing can be adapted for restaurants.